Direct Iran-Venezuela flights to begin next month

Direct flights between Iran and Venezuela will begin in March, a Venezuelan official told Iranian state media yesterday. 

The passenger flights from Tehran to Caracas will begin on March 21, the president of Conviasa airlines Ramon Velazquez told HispanTV. Venezuela’s flagship airline wants to bring Iranian tourists to Venezuela via the 13-hour flights. Velazquez called Venezuela a “strategic destination” for Iran, saying “tourism is going to have big importance, above all else.”

HispanTV is a Spanish-language news network owned by the Iranian government. The interview was picked up by more Iranian media outlets today. 

Iran and Venezuela enjoy close relations, which is largely due to both countries' animosity with the United States. The United States placed sanctions on both Iran and Venezuela, including on Conviasa. Velazquez referred to the sanctions as “illegal” in the interview. 

Much of the Iran-Venezuela relationship is focused on economics. Conviasa began cargo flights between Tehran and Caracas in 2019. These flights transported medicine as well as industrial products, according to Velazquez. Iran has also sent multiple fuel tankers to Venezuela in recent years. In 2020, an Iranian supermarket opened in Caracas. 

The primary purpose of the Conviasa flights beginning in March is tourism. On March 2, a group of Iranian tourist operators will fly to Caracas to identify tourist sites and deliberate with Venezuelan tourist authorities, according to Velazquez. 

Iranian citizens do not need a visa to enter Venezuela at present.